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How to remove gum from clothes

To remove gum from clothes, harden it with ice or in the freezer, crack and scrape it off with a dull knife, then soak the sticky residue with a prewash stain remover or dry-cleaning fluid and wash. Cold turns the gum base brittle so it lets go of the fibers, and a solvent dissolves the film that scraping leaves behind.

Best method
Freeze, scrape, solvent on the residue, wash
Time
20 to 40 minutes, including freezing
Difficulty
Easy

You will need

  • Ice cubes in a plastic bag, or a freezer
  • A dull knife or spoon
  • Aerosol prewash stain remover or dry-cleaning fluid
  • Liquid laundry detergent

How to remove gum from clothes

  1. 1

    Freeze the gum hard

    Hold a bag of ice on the gum, or fold the garment with the gum facing out, put it in a plastic bag and leave it in the freezer until the gum is rigid all the way through.

    Why: Gum base is soft and tacky at body temperature. Chilled, it turns brittle and stops gripping the fibers.

  2. 2

    Crack and scrape it off

    Bend the fabric to crack the frozen gum, then lift it off with a dull knife or spoon. Work quickly and re-ice it if it starts to soften. Don't pull hard at stretchy bits.

    Why: Hard gum chips away cleanly. Soft gum stretches, leaves a film and can pull threads out of the weave.

  3. 3

    Dissolve the residue from the back

    Lay the spot face down on paper towels and saturate the back with an aerosol prewash stain remover or dry-cleaning fluid. Scrape again as the residue softens.

    Why: Gum base doesn't dissolve in water, but it does soften and dissolve in solvents, which push it out into the towel.

  4. 4

    Rinse and wash

    Rinse out the solvent, rub liquid detergent into the area, and wash as the care label directs.

    Why: Washing removes the solvent and the loosened gum together.

  5. 5

    Treat any colored or sugary mark

    If a pink, green or dull mark remains, pretreat it with liquid detergent and wash again. Use a bleach safe for the fabric only if dye is left.

    Why: Gum's sugars and coloring can leave a second stain once the base is gone.

  6. 6

    Air-dry and check

    Hang the garment to dry and feel the spot. If it's still tacky, repeat the solvent step before it goes in the dryer.

    Why: Dryer heat melts leftover gum back into the fabric and can smear it onto other clothes.

Why ice works and warm water doesn't

Chewing gum is a gum base, made of rubbery elastomers and resins with softeners, plus sugar or sweetener, flavor and color. The base is what makes gum stretchy, and it doesn't dissolve in water. At body temperature it's soft enough to wrap around fibers; chilled, it becomes rigid and brittle.

That's why the American Cleaning Institute and extension guides from Kentucky and Texas A&M all start with ice, and why washing first backfires: warm water and agitation soften gum and spread it through the garment. Gum belongs with the wax and resin stains: harden it or dissolve it, never melt it.

By situation

Gum on jeans or pants

Jeans fit in the freezer easily: fold them with the gum facing out and freeze until hard. Residue pressed into seams or pockets may need a second round of solvent. Test the solvent inside a hem first on dark denim.

Gum that went through the wash

It may have spread or stuck to other items. Don't dry anything. Freeze and scrape each spot, apply solvent, and rewash.

Gum that went through the dryer

It has probably melted and may be on other clothes and the drum. Let everything cool, harden each spot with ice, scrape, treat with solvent and rewash. No authoritative guide covers the drum itself: unplug the dryer, work only on a cool drum, and scrape off hardened bits before running another load.

Kids' clothes and fleece

Gum sinks into fleece pile, so make sure it's frozen through and lift it in small pieces rather than pulling. Use only a small amount of solvent, from the back, and test it first.

Wool, silk, acetate and dry-clean-only items

Freeze and gently lift off what you can, but skip the solvent. Take the item to a cleaner and tell them it's gum.

What not to do

  • Don't wash or dry a garment with gum still on it. Heat and agitation soften gum and spread it into fibers and onto other items.
  • Don't pull soft gum off with force. Warm gum stretches, leaves residue and can pull out threads.
  • Don't put solvent-damp clothes in the dryer. Dry-cleaning fluids and adhesive removers can be flammable. Rinse or let them evaporate first.

Other methods that work

Cooking oil or petroleum jelly

Oil softens gum base, so rubbing a little in can loosen stubborn residue. It's traditional, with weak evidence. An old government bulletin used similar tricks on gum and tar.

Caution: It leaves an oil stain that you then need to treat with dish soap or detergent before washing.

Adhesive remover

A general-purpose adhesive remover dissolves gum base much like dry-cleaning solvent does.

Caution: Flammable. Test on a hidden seam, use a small amount, and wash afterward.

Heated vinegar

Often suggested online, but no extension or cleaning-industry source confirms or explains it. Treat it as traditional, with weak evidence.

Caution: Hot liquid softens gum and can spread it. Ice is the better-supported first step.

Stain still there?

The gum smears instead of chipping off

It isn't cold enough. Re-freeze for longer, then scrape quickly before it warms in your hand.

A sticky, dull patch remains

That's gum-base film. Saturate it with prewash stain remover from the back, scrape again, and wash.

A colored mark is left after the gum is gone

Pretreat with liquid detergent and rewash. If dye remains, use oxygen bleach on colors, or chlorine bleach on white cotton that allows it.

Safety

  • Use solvents and adhesive removers in a ventilated room, away from flames.
  • Let solvent evaporate before laundering, and never mix it with bleach.

Never mix cleaning products; see chemicals you must never combine.

Questions

How do you get gum out of clothes?

Harden it with ice or the freezer, scrape it off with a dull knife, saturate the residue with a prewash stain remover or cleaning fluid, rinse and wash.

How do you get gum out of jeans?

Freeze the jeans with the gum facing out, crack the gum and scrape it off, then treat the residue with prewash stain remover and wash.

Does peanut butter get gum out of clothes?

The oil in it can soften gum, but no extension guide recommends it, and it leaves a greasy stain of its own. Ice and a prewash solvent are cleaner.

Will gum come out in the wash?

No. Washing softens gum and spreads it, and the dryer melts it. Remove it before the garment goes in the machine.

How long should I freeze clothes to get gum off?

Until the gum is hard all the way through and no longer bends. Ice in a bag works for a quicker fix but needs re-applying as you scrape.

Gum on other surfaces

Other stains on clothes

Sources

  1. Stain Removal Guide, American Cleaning Institute
  2. Stain Removal for Washable Fabrics (HE 2-840), University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service
  3. Quick Stain Removal Guide (L-5199), Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
  4. Stain Removal from Fabrics: Home Methods (Farmers' Bulletin 1474, rev. 1951; historical), U.S. Department of Agriculture (digitized by Project Gutenberg)
  5. A General Guide to Stain Removal (Extension Bulletin E-1453), Michigan State University Cooperative Extension Service (archived bulletin)

Last updated . Methods are drawn from the sources above; how we research and check our guides.